Ideally, in addressing the hitting of a golf ball, the golfer should be positioned with the toes of both feet on a line parallel to an imaginary target line for the shot. The stance should also position the ball so that a line intersecting the ball and perpendicular to the target line passes slightly inside of the forward-most heel of the golfer. Finally, the clubface should be “square” to the ball, that is, perpendicular to the target line at the point of impact of the clubface with the ball. A stance as described above results in the feet, hips and shoulders being aligned parallel to the target line at address, the ball being positioned properly in the stance and a square club face at the moment of impact, all of which maximizes the likelihood of an accurately hit golf shot.
When a practice shot wanders from its intended mark, golfers will often lay the shaft of the club that was used for the shot across their toes while holding their finish position and then step back and observe the alignment of the club. Frequently, the club shaft is aligned with the actual flight line of the target rather than parallel to the intended target line, indicating that the error was the result of improper alignment of the feet and shoulders at address. This procedure is of no use in actually achieving proper foot alignment, ball positioning or club face squaring. It is merely a post-shot spot check method for identifying one possible cause of inaccuracy.
It is not uncommon for a golfer who is working on the practice tee to improve accuracy to lay a club on the ground on a line parallel to the target line as a guide for foot alignment before taking a practice shot. While this procedure does assist in proper foot alignment, it does not help in proper ball positioning or clubface squaring. Furthermore, since it does not properly position the ball or square the clubface, the procedure affords only incomplete data as to the real causes of any inaccuracy in the completed shot. The aforementioned procedure of using a golf club for an alignment check is inconvenient, because the tool is already in the golf bag. No adequate single tool exists that facilitates correct foot alignment, correct golf ball target alignment and club face squaring, much less one which is simple to use, easy to carry and fits in the golf bag.